Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability).
The Perfect Role Player
Prior to joining
the Padres, Dustin Harris had played in just 38 MLB games. Most of that time came with the Texas Rangers (21 games) before playing parts of 2026 with the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros. Harris was released in early August before the Friars scooped him up on a minor-league deal with San Diego. The longtime minor-leaguer had struggled to break through despite a .289/.377/.457 career slash line in the minors. His big-league breakout came the second he joined the brown and gold.
Overall Grade: A+
In 29 games with Triple-A El Paso, Harris batted .350/.422/.617 with six homers and a 1.039 OPS. That earned him a promotion to the big-league club. He promptly earned the starting left field job, but still platooned with Samad Taylor on occasion. In 28 games with San Diego, Harris batted .322 with a .422 slugging percentage.
His lack of walks (5 BB) or power (0 HR) make him an intriguing option for left field in 2027. However, for the time that Harris spent with San Diego, he was phenomenal. He knocked in 14 runners and scored 18 runs of his own all in just 90 at-bats. With that small sample in mind, Harris was one of the best role players in all of baseball for the 2026 season.
There was certainly some luck involved in Harris’ production. His .278 xBA was a good deal lower than his actual .322 batting average. There’s a question of whether Harris will be able to replicate his breakout performance in 2027. However, the Padres will certainly give him the opportunity to earn the left field spot in Spring Training. Harris could be an invaluable part of San Diego’s roster for the coming years if he can build on his success.
